skinhead
skinhead Lexical Profile
skinhead Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A member of a working-class youth subculture that originated in Britain in the late 1960s, characterized by closely cropped or shaved hair and heavy work boots, or a member of a later faction of this group associated with far-right nationalist views.
"The sociological study examined how the early British skinhead movement grew out of a shared appreciation for Jamaican ska and soul music."
A person with a completely shaved head or very closely cropped hair.
"After getting a summer buzz cut at the barbershop, he joked that he looked like a skinhead."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often associated in popular media with far-right or neo-Nazi extremism, the original late-1960s British skinhead subculture was apolitical and heavily influenced by Jamaican ska and reggae music; many members today actively oppose racism.
• Rhymes for skinhead
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in late-1960s British English as a compound of 'skin' and 'head', referring to the close-cropped or shaved hairstyles characteristic of the working-class youth subculture.